Our sister business, Growth Partners, are delighted to have partnered with the team at Wiley to source a Fractional Marketing Leader

Wiley is a global leader in research and education that has helped learners and institutions achieve their goals for over 200 years. With a large portfolio covering scientific journals and professional development, Wiley is a vital part of the global knowledge economy. The organisation operates on a massive scale, supporting millions of researchers and students worldwide

The Challenge

As a long-standing business with a complex global presence, Wiley needed to align its brand strategy across different business units and international markets. The internal team required a senior leader who could navigate a large corporate structure to create a single, global brand strategy.

The board recognised that they needed more than just a marketing specialist; they required a seasoned leader who could drive business value and profitability by aligning brand perception with the evolving digital landscape of professional publishing. The brief was to source a heavy-weight fractional expert who could provide immediate objectivity, serve as a ‘CEO whisperer’ to provide independent views, and translate complex brand concepts into tangible bottom-line growth.

The Solution

The team at Growth Partners worked closely with Wiley’s senior leadership to understand the unique pressures facing their executive board. Using our network of pre-vetted fractional leaders, we identified a marketing consultant with the high-level stakeholder management skills required to navigate an enterprise of Wiley’s scale. The fractional marketing leader led the brand evolution by bridging the gap between high-level ambition and operational execution.

Their impact was focused across four key strategic areas:

• Capability & Skill Gap Analysis: She conducted a strategic review of the existing brand team and its capabilities, advising the CMO on skill gaps and future opportunities to ensure the team was equipped for long-term success.
• Global Brand Management & Agency Lead: She oversaw the global brand project in direct collaboration with Wiley’s chosen agency, Design Bridge & Partners, ensuring the creative output met the strategic requirements of the brief.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Buy-in: Leveraging deep experience in global markets, she engaged with senior stakeholders and the Executive Board to secure the necessary approvals and internal buy-in throughout the process.
• Strategic Integration of EVP: Working closely with HR and People teams, she ensured the new brand framework was deeply integrated into the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and company values to maximise the impact on internal culture.

The appointed consultant provided the immediate objectivity and ‘CEO whisperer’ approach needed to deliver home truths and drive business growth. By focusing on business value rather than just tactical tasks, this placement ensured that Wiley’s marketing efforts led to long-term commercial success

About tml Partners: Specialist Headhunters for Marketing and Commercial Roles

tml Partners are specialists in Executive Search with access to a global network of commercial, marketing, communications, brand, product and digital leaders. Our team work with businesses ranging from fast-growth challenger brands to blue-chip organisations to develop their in-house teams.

Our sister business, Growth Partners, specialises in Fractional Marketing, Sales, and Revenue Operations

To learn how tml Partners can help you, please get in touch.